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A B737 flight plans for FL270 but hears ZHU give clearance to FL280. Flight crew reads back FL280 but ZHU does not catch error until aircraft has been at wrong altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 371224 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199706 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : crp |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 28000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zhu |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 12000 |
| ASRS Report | 371224 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 371149 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Aircraft was cleared to FL280 and first officer read back 'cleared to FL280.' subsequently controller (ATC) noticed that we were level FL280 and told us to descend to FL270 as assigned. It would appear that this was the classic altitude deviation where the controller assigns one altitude, pilot understand something else and read it back as they understand it. The controller never caught the pilot readback error. Supplemental information from acn 371410: center controller cleared us to FL280. We read back FL280 (we were flight planned FL270). Corrective action -- pilots and ATC xchk each other closer.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737 FLT PLANS FOR FL270 BUT HEARS ZHU GIVE CLRNC TO FL280. FLC READS BACK FL280 BUT ZHU DOES NOT CATCH ERROR UNTIL ACFT HAS BEEN AT WRONG ALT.
Narrative: ACFT WAS CLRED TO FL280 AND FO READ BACK 'CLRED TO FL280.' SUBSEQUENTLY CTLR (ATC) NOTICED THAT WE WERE LEVEL FL280 AND TOLD US TO DSND TO FL270 AS ASSIGNED. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THIS WAS THE CLASSIC ALTDEV WHERE THE CTLR ASSIGNS ONE ALT, PLT UNDERSTAND SOMETHING ELSE AND READ IT BACK AS THEY UNDERSTAND IT. THE CTLR NEVER CAUGHT THE PLT READBACK ERROR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 371410: CTR CTLR CLRED US TO FL280. WE READ BACK FL280 (WE WERE FLT PLANNED FL270). CORRECTIVE ACTION -- PLTS AND ATC XCHK EACH OTHER CLOSER.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.